Dynamic load bearing shock absorbing exoskeletal knee brace

Abstract

The exoskeletal dynamic load bearing shock absorbing knee brace makes use of the energy absorbing characteristics of specifically designed industrial shock absorbers which are held precisely in place by an articulated dynamic exoskeletal structure that is to be secured to the lower limbs of the individual with the injured knee. The exoskeletal structure is designed using the principles of the overcenter linkage to translate and transfer to the shock absorbers a representative fraction of the normal and extra normal ambulatory movements of the lower limbs of the user which makes possible for these shock absorbers to absorb a corresponding amount of energy and provide an alternate load bearing structure parallel to the knees thus introducing a desirable degree of protection for the injured knee.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An exoskeletal load bearing shock absorbing knee brace configured to be worn on a leg and designed to support a knee principally by reducing the load on the knee and absorbing peak shock loads when the leg is articulated, the brace coupled to both a thigh and a calf of a user; the knee brace comprising:
 an upper sleeve assembly having a sleeve configured to engage the thigh, and an upper strut; 
 a lower strut assembly configured to engage the calf; and 
 a pair of shock absorbers moveable between a compressed position and decompressed position, each of the pair of shock absorbers fixedly mounted to opposite sides of the lower strut assembly, each of the pair of shock absorbers having a drive shaft, wherein a distal end of the drive shaft is pivotably mounted to an upper sleeve about a first pivot point, the first pivot point being positioned above and forward of a pivot point of a bent knee so as to actuate the pair of shock absorbers to the decompressed position when the upper sleeve is pivoted relative to lower strut assembly by the articulation of the leg, wherein the drive shaft extends upwardly relative to the lower strut assembly when moving from the decompressed position to the compressed position so as to increase an axial length of the lower strut assembly, and wherein the drive shaft is configured to transmit a load to the thigh through the upper sleeve when moving from the decompressed position to the compressed position. 
 
     
     
       2. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , further including a load bearing shoe sole insert configured to be positioned within a shoe of a user, the shoe sole insert pivotably mounted to a bottom end of the lower strut assembly. 
     
     
       3. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the upper sleeve assembly includes a sleeve, the sleeve having a conical shape, having an upper opening and a lower opening, the upper opening having a diameter larger than the diameter of the lower opening so as to accommodate the shape of the thigh. 
     
     
       4. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shock absorbers include a biasing member configured to urge the shock absorber piston to the decompressed position, the pair of shock absorbers pivotably mounted to the upper sleeve assembly, the biasing member further configured to urge the upper sleeve assembly upwardly so as to help bias the upper sleeve assembly against the upper thigh. 
     
     
       5. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the upper sleeve assembly includes a strap configured to fix the upper sleeve in place with respect to the thigh, wherein the pair of shock absorbers absorb substantially all of the load from an articulated leg. 
     
     
       6. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the lower strut assembly includes a lower strut, the lower strut disposed along an axis, a bottom end of the lower strut is mounted to a heel portion of the shoe sole insert. 
     
     
       7. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 6 , further including a retainer configured to hold each of the pair of shock absorbers and a calf support having a semicircular face configured to seat the calf, the attachment mounted to a top end of the lower strut opposite the bottom end, each of the pair of shock absorbers are fixedly mounted to an outer edge of a respective attachment so as to position each of the pair of shock absorbers on a respective outer side of and above the knee. 
     
     
       8. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the lower strut assembly includes a boot disposed on a bottom end of the lower strut, the boot having a bore, and wherein the shoe sole insert includes a pin head disposed on a back end of the shoe sole insert, pin head pivotably mounted to shoe sole insert, the bore dimensioned to slidingly receive the pin head so as to allow the shoe sole insert to pivot relative to the lower strut. 
     
     
       9. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the lower strut assembly includes a first lower attachment, the first lower attachment configured to engage the calf so as to secure the lower strut assembly to the calf. 
     
     
       10. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the first lower attachment is a strap. 
     
     
       11. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the strap is formed from a flexible material and includes a fastening device configured to retain the strap to itself. 
     
     
       12. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the lower strut assembly includes a second lower attachment, the second lower attachment disposed on the bottom end of the lower strut assembly and configured to engage a foot, so as to secure the shoe sole insert to the foot. 
     
     
       13. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the first lower attachment is a strap. 
     
     
       14. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the strap is formed from a flexible material and includes a fastening knee brace configured to retain the strap to itself. 
     
     
       15. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the shoe sole insert includes a pair of upwardly extending arms rigidly fixed to the shoe sole insert, each of the pair of upwardly extending arms pivotably connected to the lower strut, the shoe sole insert having a base dimensioned to support the foot of a user. 
     
     
       16. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the lower strut assembly includes a pair of lower struts, each of the pair of lower struts are generally axial, and each of the pair of lower struts is mounted to a respective one of the pair of shock absorbers, the pair of lower struts are spaced apart from each other so as to be disposed on opposite sides of the calf. 
     
     
       17. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 16 , further including a load bearing shoe sole insert configured to be positioned within a shoe of a user, the shoe sole insert including a base dimensioned to support the foot of the user, a pair of upwardly extending arms rigidly fixed to the shoe sole insert, the pair of upwardly extending arms pivotably connected to the pair of lower struts. 
     
     
       18. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , further including a load bearing shoe sole insert configured to be positioned within a shoe of a user, the shoe sole insert including a base dimensioned to support the foot of the user, a pair of upwardly extending arms rigidly fixed to the shoe sole insert, the lower strut assembly further includes a retaining sleeves, a lower strut having a top end opposite a bottom end, and a retainer, the retaining sleeves disposed on the top end of the lower strut and configured to hold each of the pair of shock absorbers, the retainer disposed on the bottom end of the lower strut the ends of the retainer are pivotably mounted to a respective pair of upwardly extending arms so as to position the lower strut in front of the calf of the user. 
     
     
       19. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the lower strut assembly further includes a shock absorber support assembly, the shock absorber support assembly having a tube, a bracket, a biasing member, and a Y shaped member, the lower strut assembly further including a lower strut, the lower strut being a generally elongated and rigid member having a top end, wherein the tube is dimensioned to cover a bottom portion of the lower strut wherein a top end of the lower strut is exposed, the biasing member disposed on a top end of the tube, the bracket is fixedly mounted to the tube and is configured to hold the pair of shock absorbers so as to position the shock absorbers in front of a tibia, the Y shaped member having a stem and a pair of prongs extending from the stem and away from each other so as to provide space for a bent knee, the ends of the prongs are pivotably mounted to the upper strut assembly and the stem having a bore dimensioned to engage the top end of the lower strut wherein the shock absorbers and biasing members are operative to urge the stem upwards relative to the bottom end of the lower strut. 
     
     
       20. The knee brace assembly as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the bottom ends of each of the pair of upper struts are angled forward with respect to the thigh, a forward portion of the bottom ends are pivotably attached to the end of a respective prong. 
     
     
       21. The knee brace assembly as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the bottom ends of each of the pair of upper struts is angled generally 45 degrees from the axis of the pair of upper struts. 
     
     
       22. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the shock absorber support further includes a calf support and a first lower attachment mounted to the calf support, the first lower attachment configured to engage the calf so as to secure the lower strut assembly to the calf. 
     
     
       23. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the first lower attachment is a strap. 
     
     
       24. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 19 , further including a load bearing shoe sole insert configured to be positioned within a shoe of a user, the load bearing shoe sole insert including a base configured to support the foot and pivotably attached to the bottom end of the lower strut. 
     
     
       25. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 24 , wherein the lower strut assembly further includes a retainer disposed on a bottom end of the lower strut, and the load bearing shoe sole includes a pair of upwardly extending arms disposed on opposite sides of the base, the pair of upwardly extending arms are rigid and generally orthogonal to the base, the ends of the retainer are pivotably mounted to a respective pair of upwardly extending arms so as to position the lower strut in front of the calf of the user. 
     
     
       26. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein the retainer is an arched member and further including a pair of boots pivotably mounted to opposing side ends of the retainer, each of the boots detachably engaged with a respective one of the pair of upwardly extending arms. 
     
     
       27. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the prongs of the Y shaped member are twist about an axis of the respective prong. 
     
     
       28. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the lower strut assembly includes a lower strut and a shock absorber support assembly includes a shock absorber support assembly, the shock absorber support assembly having a shock absorber housing, and a Y shaped member, the lower strut assembly further including a lower strut, the lower strut being a generally elongated and rigid member having a top end, the shock absorber housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, the Y shaped member having a stem, and a pair of prongs, the pair of prongs extending from the stem and away from each other so as to provide space for a bent knee, a distal end of the prongs are pivotably mounted to the upper strut assembly, a proximal end of the pair of prongs include an attachment surface having a through hole for supporting a strap, the proximal ends of the pair of prongs are fixedly attached to opposite sides of the stem, the stem having a bottom portion having an opening configured to receive the lower strut, the top portion of the shock absorber housing having an opening configured to fit the bottom portion of the stem, the tubing dimensioned to house the shock absorber, wherein articulation of the leg engages the stem downwardly, the impact being absorbed by the shock absorber. 
     
     
       29. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 28 , wherein the bottom ends of each of the pair of upper struts are angled forward with respect to the thigh, a forward portion of the bottom ends are pivotably attached to the end of a respective prong. 
     
     
       30. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 28 , further including a load bearing shoe sole insert configured to be positioned within a shoe of a user, the load bearing shoe sole insert including a base configured to support the foot, the load bearing shoe sole insert pivotably attached to the bottom end of the lower strut. 
     
     
       31. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 30 , wherein the lower strut assembly further includes a retainer disposed on a bottom end of the lower strut, and the load bearing shoe sole includes a pair of upwardly extending arms disposed on opposite sides of the base, the pair of upwardly extending arms are rigid and generally orthogonal to the base, the ends of the retainer are pivotably mounted to a respective pair of upwardly extending arms so as to position the lower strut in front of the calf of the user. 
     
     
       32. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 31 , further including a pair of boots pivotably mounted to opposing side ends of the retainer, the boots including a slot configured to receive a respective upwardly extending arm. 
     
     
       33. The knee brace assembly as set forth in  claim 28 , wherein the lower strut assembly further includes a pad mounted to the stem and configured to engage the tibia of the user. 
     
     
       34. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 27 , wherein the shock absorber and the lower strut and the stem are coaxial with each other. 
     
     
       35. The knee brace as set forth in  claim 29 , wherein the shock absorber includes a threaded end, and wherein the bottom portion of the shock absorber housing includes a threaded bore dimensioned to threadedly engage the threaded end of the shock absorber so as to provide an axial tolerance.